I'm reading
The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ, during my time here on Gabriola Island. I'm finding the books to be inspiring and reminding me that God communicates with us through our everyday experiences. I have the rental house to myself today and I've spent it walking and taking some pictures. Each one represents an encounter, a time when I felt an inward peace. God making me remember that this is a time of rest after such a challenging school year. God chooses to regularly speak to us through events, people, places. Times when we feel joy or even sadness. There seems to be more going on as we encounter joy in the little things. "In such uncommon longings, hidden in plain sight in our lives, does God call us."
I took a walk and I found these flowers, that look like small bells and I'm just fascinated by how they look. I am attracted to them just because I'm in a different place. Have I never bother to notice these flowers in Abbotsford? I don't know. I'm just enjoying them NOW. I used to be frantic about how time passed and could get quite depressed thinking that what is NOW is only a memory soon. Soon I will be home and not able to touch, smell or see these flowers or live this moment. That view of time drove me to depression. I would lose the wonder of the NOW because I knew it would soon be PAST. It's very hard to explain, but I think writers like Martin and others would lead me to realize that the accumulation of joyful times is only adding to my faith in God. Indeed, the sum total of all of these moments are deepening my understanding of God who is always NOW: "I AM".
I was on the deck reading quietly and a deer came quietly through the grass and began nibbling away only a few meters from where I was sitting. I stopped reading and enjoyed the moment and knew God was telling me to just "Be still and know that I am God." It's OK that this will be PAST. It is only adding to my understanding and bringing me closer to Someone who is never PAST. Interestingly, as I am finishing writing this, the whole family came up from the beach right up to the backyard where the one was before. Now it is two adults and one spotted fawn. I wasn't quick enough with the camera, but you'll just have to take my word for it that the trio was there.
